Recently, I went back home to Indiana to visit some friends. While visiting I noticed on the website for the Wheaten Terrier Rescue Group that I am a member of was in need of a emergency transport from the exact city I was visiting for the weekend. I couldn’t believe the odds that I was exactly where they needed help and I was available that day. I called the Rescue and offered to do the emergency transport of this precious 6 year old Wheaten Terrier named Lizzy to her new home in Ohio. She had been living outside and had been used to breed puppies at an Amish Farm in Indiana. I actually knew of the Amish lady that owned her and had decided to stop breeding Wheatons. So she was giving Lizzy up to the rescue.
I wanted to make sure Lizzy didn’t have to spend one more night outside in the cold winter barn where she had lived in. They told me she was going into a “rags to riches situation” and that the new foster/adopt would treat her well.
I had my rental car and I drove to the rescue to pick her up. I was excited to see her and I love the breed. She was calm, quiet and a bit nervous. When I loaded her into the crate she didn’t have any problems. We drove to Ohio and I made sure to turn on the Christmas music so she could relax. I realized she probably had never heard Christmas music before. I talked to her and told her how her Christmas wish was coming true. That I was traveling and saw the notice from the rescue and that no one else was available on a Sunday to help transport her. So, I made sure to jump in because I read her case story and I knew the situation.
Sometimes we need to do that today. Sometimes we need to be the kindness we wish to see in the world. Instead of sleeping in and staying inside where it was warm. I chose to jump into a situation and make a difference for a dog that really needed it. I knew it would be a life changing few hours for her but also for my heart.
After a year of uncertainty and sadness with the pandemic, I needed to feel hope again. I needed to feel like there was still goodness in the world. I love dogs and I saw in Lizzy’s eyes the helplessness and uncertainty of needing a friend. Often, sometimes that is all it takes for someone to hear us and see us. To listen and respond. The people I met via the rescue were wonderful caring people as well. They were people I never would have met had I not gone out of my way to make a difference for someone else’s life vs. my own.
We met at the outlet mall and we did the exchange for Lizzy to make the final drive to her new home. It was hard to say goodbye to her. I didn’t want to let go. She was so precious and sweet. But I knew she was going onto a new home with special meals and she would get the vet care and attention she needed. My trip with her in the car was special because what was a small thing for me was a very big deal for her. The music I played and the hope that I felt from her will stay with me for a long time.
Life can be sweet or it can be violent. You get to choose. Life is typically what we make it. So decide for yourself what road you want to go down and then follow it. Not only will you benefit if you choose wisely but others you come in contact with will reap the rewards.
